Monday, March 29, 2010

Technical note: In order to make the homepage load faster and also allow readers to more easily scroll past posts that aren't of interest, I've implemented an 'expandable post option' on posts that have several photos (which seems to be most of them lately). After the first or second photo, look for the 'read more' link. Just click on that link, and the post will expand so you can see the entire thing. Thanks for making this high tech move with me!

New visitor note: Welcome to the farm! We're so happy you're here. It's lambing season right now, which means this blog has been temporarily taken over by sheep. Rest assured, there's usually a lot more going on, including plenty of sweet and savory Less Fuss, More Flavor recipes. If you'd like to see something other than this annual profusion of bouncing baby cute, you'll find links to all the monthly archives since 2005 over in the left sidebar, and a rather disorderly list of all the recipes posted so far (I'm working on a recipe index!) in the right sidebar. Enjoy!

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Technical note: In order to make the homepage load faster and also allow readers to more easily scroll past posts that aren't of interest, I've implemented an 'expandable post option' on posts that have several photos (which seems to be happening much more often lately). After the first or second photo, look for the 'read more' link. Just click on that link, and the post will expand so you can see the entire thing. Thanks for making this high tech move with me!

Sunday, March 14, 2010

It's a funny thing about our sheep shearer—he raises sheep that don't need to be sheared. They're Katahdins, and this hardy breed has hair rather than wool that, as you can see here, comes off each year on its own.

One of the biggest problems we face raising our mostly Suffolk meat sheep here in Missouri is internal parasites, specifically a blood sucking stomach worm known as the barber pole or wire worm. For much of the year it's wet and warm here, which, unfortunately, is Parasite Paradise.

Despite agressively using both commercial and natural wormers, we've lost numerous sheep over the years to worms—and we've been comparatively lucky. I know of one farmer who had most of her flock drop dead from internal parasites—the day after they'd been wormed.

It's terrible. And while there were many benefits to having that extra rain during the past two springs and summers, it made the parasite problem even worse.

Saturday, March 13, 2010

So who are all these lambs and how are they related to our early start to lambing season?The whole story should be up tomorrow. No, really, I mean it this time. It's even all written, and I was hoping to finish it tonight, but today kind of got away from me—partly because the story ended up a lot longer than planned, and partly because I spent about six hours this morning working on a total blog makeover (so exciting, but what a time suck). And now that everyone else has been fed, it's time for us to eat!

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

I know I promised an explanation today for our surprise early start to lambing season, along with more cute baby pictures (there's still just the one set of twins on the ground), but while I was out walking around this beautiful morning I started thinking that maybe some of you might also be feeling as if you're running in circles while being pulled in a million directions at once, yet hardly getting anything done (still unposted winter recipes, anyone?) and could use a quiet little moment of peace.

I'll be back later today or (more likely) tomorrow with the story and another dose of baby lamb cute (they are so cuddly). In the meantime, don't forget to stop and breathe it all in. And again. Doesn't that feel good?

Tuesday, March 09, 2010

The short version is that our lambing season has started several weeks earlier than originally planned, and this Katahdin hair sheep mama and her twin lambs, who were born just before we got back from town (of course), are doing just fine. The brown one is a boy, and the white one is a girl.

The longer version—in which I explain just what the heck is going on, and ply you with more lambie cuteness—will have to wait until tomorrow, as we're heading back out, in the opposite direction this time, to hunt down yet more tractor parts—for both of our vintage tractors.

The question is, Will there be more lambs waiting for us when we get home?